🎄 I have been posting a daily challenge on Facebook and Instagram to  help you stay on top of your health this festive season and you’ll be ready to hit the New Year running.  I’ve listed all the days for you below.  Of course, you can start this challenge anytime.

 

🎁 Day 1 – Get in 20 minutes of exercise. It’s been a tough year. Exercise can help relieve stress, promote weight loss, improve your memory, mood, sleep and reduce the risk of chronic illness. Incorporate a 20 minute walk, cycle, run or whatever works for you into your schedule for the next 12 days.

 

🎅 Day 2 – Increase your water intake. Dehydrated happens sooner than you think, don’t wait to feel thirsty. Instead try and sip water at regular intervals throughout the day to avoid headaches, dark urine, and tiredness. Try filling up a water bottle at the start of the day and carrying it around with you. Add 🍋🍓mint or cucumber to jazz it up 💧.

 

⭐️ Day 3 – Eat a nutritious breakfast. If you’re always pushed for time in the morning try getting up a couple of minutes earlier and make time to fuel your body with a healthy, nutrient dense breakfast 🍳🥞 🥑. You can even prepare something like overnight oats the night before 🥣. Of course, you don’t have to eat breakfast first thing, you may prefer to have something mid morning. Eating breakfast can improve cognitive function and energy levels. I personally look forward to breakfast, well, all meals really as I live to eat 😂

 

DAY 4 – Get organised! Make the most of a wet gloomy day and have a good old sort out. Pick a room or a cupboard, you know the one – where everything gets chucked in, and commit to organising an area of your home every day. You can be guided by the likes of Marie Kondo (see my blog www.rosefit.co.uk/the-art-of-tidying) or just do your normal tidying. Being organised is linked to stress relief, better sleep and increased productivity. I need to start with my office space, what will you attack first?

 

DAY 5 – Say positive affirmations out loud
to promote better mental health. Check out Louise Hay
if you need some inspiration. A few of my favourites
are:
🚦I am deeply fulfilled by all that I do
🥁I trust the process of life
💜I am loved and I am at peace.
Increasing your self-esteem can also help decrease
stress levels and help you to feel your best.

 

DAY 6 – Make your bed 🛏. Sounds so
simple but making your bed can set your day off right.
It may lead to higher productivity and increase your
mood. Make it your first job for the next few days and
see how it impacts your day.

 

Day 7 – Tell a friend or family member how
much you appreciate them 💚. I think this is even
more important as COVID-19 has restricted the ability
to see so many of our beloved family members and
friends. To maintain your relationships, let others know
just how much you appreciate them. You both get to
feel good. Challenge yourself to text a friend or family
member each day over the next 5 days ☎️📱

 

 

Day 8 – Meditate. 🧎‍♀️Incorporating a few minutes of meditation into your morning or evening routine is associated with several health benefits. It may enhance your awareness, prevent stress and anxiety, focus you on the big picture and boost your overall health. Plan in this time to slow down and control your thoughts each day and see how it benefits your health!🕉

 

Day 9 – Eat your veggies 🥬🍆🍍🍑🍒🌽🥕🥦 The government guidelines tell us to aim for 5 a day. Let’s do better than that and add a couple extra portions in. Breakfast: add some berries. Lunch: add salad leaves to your usual sandwich filling, or have a salad. Dinner: serve pasta dishes on a bed of spinach or add an extra portion of veg to every meal. Snack: have a piece of fruit. Smoothies are great for packing in extra fruit and veg, try and have more veg than fruit though to keep the sugar content down.

 

Day 10 – Get up and move every hour. 🕴🚶‍♀️🚶Sitting for long periods of time is not good for our bodies. COVID-19 has forced a lot of people to work from home and there are fewer distractions than in a busy office so it’s easy to spend longer than usual sitting down. Set yourself an alarm and get up every hour and walk around or do some star jumps if you’re feeling energetic.

 

 

Day 11 – Cook a new healthy recipe. 🥗 Food is important in maintaining our health. If you always cook and eat the same meals you’ll always get the same results.  Great if you are happy maintaining your weight, not so good if you’re looking to shed a few pounds. Plus, on average we’ll eat twice as much as normal on Christmas Day alone as we enjoy the festive treats on offer. (6 sleeps to go 🥳). Use the week before the big day to practice making some healthy meals so we can get right back on track come the New Year 🎊 Check out these healthy recipes here.

 

Day 12 – Push yourself in a workout 💪. This is your final challenge, to just take your workout to the next level. This will look very different for everyone, whether it be increase speed, distance or reps or weight of your favourite way to move/lift. Getting out of our comfort zone yields great results. If walking is your thing, find a different route that has more inclines for example. Achieving a new personal best will be a great reward for completing this 12 day challenge. Please comment and let me know which was your favourite challenge.